Penny Lane
by Sera London
Summary: Audrey comes back to Haven and meets Nathan 3 years later, but without Duke... not to mention as someone new.
1. Chapter 1

If any of you read the Mentalist fanfics, you'll know that I am still in the middle of writing one. This popped up when I started watching Haven towards the end of season 3 – and hasn't let me go. I will get back to _Red Angels Cry_ but first…

Btw, I very much appreciate reviews as it helps let me know whether I should keep writing or not. :)

No copyright infringement intended.

~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ The Beginning – Again ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~

It was 2 pm in the afternoon when a sporty BMW coupe barreled down a single lane along the Maine coastline.

Its driver wore large "bug-eye" Tiffany sunglasses and an Hermes scarf wrapped tightly around her head, which flowed behind her as she drove with one hand gripped on the wheel and another gripping a cell phone held to her ear.

"Really, Lou?" she was saying, in a pissed off tone. "I've been driving this never-ending road for _hours_ and each minute is taking me closer to _No Man's Land_. What gives?" she paused to swerve around a large pothole without slowing down. "I give you 2 years of my life to go to Paris and I know, it's Paris but I boosted readership for you, like, _20 times_ with my travelogue and this is what I get? Really?"

The phone on the other end beeped and a soothing female voice that sounded aggravating to its listener said, "You have reached the maximum message time. To leave this message, press 1. To re-record your message press 2 –."

The woman's voice was cut off as the woman in the BMW pressed the red phone symbol and then threw the device to her side in frustration, watching it in the split-second that it bounced off the leather seat beside her and flopped onto the mat in front. When she looked up, she suddenly saw a large crack splitting the ground ahead of her. Her mind whirled, registering the danger ahead. With a gasp, she swerved to her right.

In that moment, her mind registered that if anyone asked what she was thinking in the seconds that followed, she would have described "numb horror." When she swerved her silver coupe and slammed on the brakes, it went off the road and slid across the gravel into the drop beside the road. All she could do was grip the wheel with both hands tightly and continue pushing down on the brakes while the car continued downwards gathering branches and leaves in the windshield. When a branch came towards her head-on, she threw herself across the passenger seat, closed her eyes and prayed that whatever happened next wouldn't hurt too much.


	2. Chapter 2

I still appreciate any and all feedback. :)

Also, while it shouldn't have to said – no infringement intended.

~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ Haven ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~ ~~ * ~~

_When a branch came towards the immaculately dressed driver of the sporty BMW, she threw herself across the passenger seat, closed her eyes and prayed she wouldn't feel too hurt._

"Ma'am," a soft-spoken male voice broke through the fogginess in her brain. "You alright?"

"Mmmm," she responded, unable to voice anything except a loud moan. Her head felt heavy against the smooth, leathery surface it lay on. _Why couldn't she move?_

"Don't move." The male voice was now ordering. Although it was fairly even and monotone, she could hear a slight inflection of … was that concern?

_What had happened to her?_

"Big branch pinned you down. Went through the windshield." Her unknown companion explained, as if he had read her mind. "Going to try lifting it."

"What are you, Superman?" she muttered but feeling relieved at the same time. She thought of the likelihood that no one would have found her for days and fought the desire to shiver uncontrollably. Whoever this man was, he had just become her hero.

"Ready?" he asked. She heard him clamber onto her car's hood. Suddenly, a weight was literally lifted from her upper back. As she swiftly began pushing up again the leather seat, he gruffly grunted, "Careful – you gotta duck under."

Tilting her head slightly, she saw that he had only been able to lift the branch slightly so that it slid down the hood at an angle. It was enough for her to crouch under to sit upright in the driver's seat again. During her maneuvers, her sunglasses fell off but her body ached so much she didn't care to look for them.

Unbuckling her seatbelt all she felt like doing was getting out and away from her car as quickly as possible. When her car door wouldn't budge open, she impatiently stood up and tried climbing out. In her haste, she slipped and started falling forward.

Her savior, whom she still hadn't looked at, had started coming around the back of the car towards her to help her. As he heard her cry out and saw her falling, he ran forward and caught her squarely in his arms.

For the second time in only a few moments, she couldn't explain how she truly felt or what really transpired. The minute she landed in his arms, she thought how wonderfully strong and safe they felt.

At that same moment, she felt him tense and then hug her closer to his body. She heard him sob, "Thank god you're alive!" and without any effort, half running, half stumbling, pulled her away from the car.

When he had cleared the car by 10 metres, he dropped to his knees setting her to the soft ground. She looked up at him in surprise, regarding him for the very first time and in that first instant noticing the overwhelmingly intense emotion emanating from his expression and especially his clear blue eyes. If it had been any other stranger, she would have been unnerved, and frankly creeped out, but the honesty in his face told her that she should trust him. It didn't hurt that he was extremely attractive in a scruffy, scrawny yet ruggedly tall and handsome way.

For a few seconds all they did was stare into each other's blue eyes. She had heard about these types of first sight responses but had never thought it would ever happen to her. She turned her head to the side, blushing a bit at the intensity of his stare. As she turned her head back, the scarf that had been so tightly wound around her slipped off. When he saw her raven curls, he started. She felt the electricity that had suddenly sparked between them subside.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking down and to the side. He swallowed hard and started getting up onto his heels.

"Wait a minute." she said. "You can't just – save a girl like that and then walk away."

He looked genuinely contrite. "Right, you should see a doctor." He seemed to be avoiding looking directly at her again. Still, he held his hand out like a gentleman to help her get up. "Are you okay to walk?"

Feeling disappointed, she took his hand and tried pulling herself up but her legs gave out when she felt a sharp pain in her back. She flopped back onto the ground. She felt grateful that at least he had set her down onto a soft surface.

Sighing and trying to fight a wave of fear coming on, she shook her head. "I guess I'm going to need some help." She said trying to smile a bit but her voice only sounded wobbly.

"Don't worry," her rescuer told her, lifting her from the ground and then heading back up towards the road. For the second time, she got to revel in his strong hold despite the pain in her back that was now persisting and this time, she felt his heart pounding wildly behind the fabric of his windbreaker.

When he got them to the road, she saw that a blue truck was parked on the side. When he got to the passenger side, she pulled on the door handle for him to get the door open. He gently deposited her onto the seat, closed the door and then got into the driver's side. They both remained silent as he drove towards the town.

As the shore flashed on one side and then houses started to flash on the other side. She glanced at her companion's side profile, noticing the dark shadows and lines around his eyes as if he had recently experienced unbelievable agony. _Perhaps a devastating heartbreak?_

"How did you find me?" she finally asked, breaking the silence.

He didn't look away from the road as he drove, appearing a little too casual. "I was patrolling the roads into Haven when I noticed the large crack and your skid marks." He stopped talking, as if it was awkward for him to continue a conversation.

"You patrol them often?" she asked curiously.

"No." he replied, almost sounding pained. She shook her head, not knowing what to think but immediately felt pain. Instinctively, she held her head in both hands.

"We're almost at the doc's." he said sounding worried again.

"Okay." she said, closing her eyes and wishing the pain would just go away.

When she opened her eyes again, she immediately noticed that she was in a medical setting. The bed, or more accurately, cot, she was on was narrow, hard and uncomfortable, and higher up than usual. She heard a few hushed voices outside the room, one of which she thought might have been her still unknown savior.

Swinging her legs over the side, she slid off the cot. As soon as her feet touched on the ground, she felt a shooting pain in her back again. Grimacing, she doubled over onto the bed to regain her balance. Leaning on the edge of the bed and then the counter, she hobbled towards the doorway.

Once at the door, she peered out. As soon as she did, two figures turned towards her.

"Good, you're awake. " one of the figures said walking towards her. "I'm Doctor Martin. And you should be staying off of your legs."

"Is that why I'm in such pain?" she asked, as he helped her get back onto the cot.

"Yes. You're lucky it's not worse."

"Could I have been –" she hesitated. "Paralyzed?"

"Possibly," Doctor Martin admitted. "But luckily Chief Wuornos found you in time."

"Chief?" she asked, turning to the other figure still hovering awkwardly a few feet away.

"Nathan –" he corrected gently. "You don't have to call me Chief."

"Nathan." She repeated, smiling.

"And you are?" Doctor Martin broke in, not rudely.

"I'm Rebecca… Lane." She said slowly, looking towards Nathan. He smiled shyly back.

"You got a place to stay here?" the Doctor asked.

"Actually, no. I figured I would have found a B&B or something when I got here."

She didn't look at Nathan as she made her next admission. "Or I would have just turned around and driven back to New York."

"That where you from?" the doctor asked her absent-mindedly, his attention on her chart. He scribbled out a prescription, tore out the page from his medical pad and then gave it to her. "This is for the pain. But make sure you stay off your feet." He told her sternly but kindly.

She nodded. "Okay." When the doctor left the room, she looked towards the quiet police chief.

"Any suggestions where I can stay? Preferably with a nice spa facility."

Nathan came around to her side as Rebecca started to slide off of the cot and reached down to support her when she started to sink against the bed.

"Actually," he said as he looked at her with an expression that nearly took her breath away all the while holding her close to him. "I do."


End file.
